eIDAS 2.0 explained: The EU’s vision for digital identity

Enter eIDAS 2.0, the EU’s new framework for digital identity.

eIDAS stands for electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services.

It’s a European regulation that sets the legal framework for secure and seamless digital interactions across EU borders. The original version, launched in 2014, focused mostly on enabling electronic signatures and national eIDs for accessing public services.

But the digital world has evolved, and the original eIDAS framework needed a major upgrade. That’s why eIDAS 2.0 was introduced.

The idea behind eIDAS 2.0 was to build a foundation of digital trust.

Whether signing a contract, verifying a document, or proving an identity online, the regulation ensures there is a common legal and technical framework across the EU.

Think of eIDAS 2.0 as Europe’s next-generation digital identity system. Its goal is to give every EU citizen and business a trusted, secure, and user-controlled digital identity they can use anywhere in Europe, not just for public services, but also in the private sector.

Today, digital identity is fragmented.

Most people have separate logins for their bank, government services, and online platforms, each collecting different pieces of personal data. In many cases, individuals have little visibility or control over how that data is stored, shared, or used.

eIDAS 2.0 aims to change that. It introduces a unified, privacy-first approach that puts individuals, not institutions or tech giants, in control of their own digital identities.

Central to eIDAS 2.0 is the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI-Wallet), a secure mobile app that EU citizens will be able to use to:

• Prove who they are online (and in person),

• Store official credentials like driver’s licenses, diplomas, or health records,

• And share only the information they choose, when and with whom.

Each EU member state will offer its own wallet app, developed according to common EU standards. This ensures that the wallets work seamlessly across borders, while still giving countries flexibility in how they implement the solution. 

A new way of thinking digital identity
By putting credentials directly into the hands of citizens, and giving them full control over how those credentials are used, the EUDI Wallet represents a major shift toward user-centric digital identity in Europe.

eIDAS 2.0 is a very practical solution to everyday challenges around trust, security, and convenience in the digital world!

By creating a unified framework for digital identity across the EU, it brings real benefits to individuals, businesses, and governments alike.

With eIDAS 2.0, citizens gain a single, trusted digital identity that works seamlessly across the entire EU. No more juggling multiple logins, passwords, or having to overshare personal information just to access basic services.

Using the EUDI Wallet, individuals can:

• Identify themselves electronically in a way that works across the entire EU

• Prove who they are online or in person without physical documents

• Verify specific attributes only, like age, citizenship, or qualifications, without revealing more than necessary

• Choose exactly what data to share and with whom, putting them in full control

• Store official credentials (e.g. diplomas, health records, ID cards) in one secure app

Whether it’s renting a car abroad, applying for university, or checking into a hotel, citizens will be able to identify themselves digitally, with convenience and privacy built in.

eIDAS 2.0 is also bringing some benefits for private companies.

By offering a reliable, secure, and EU-wide way to verify customers’ identities, the EUDI wallet helps companies streamline operations, cut costs, and unlock new digital opportunities.

Through the EUDI Wallet, businesses will be able to:

• Instantly verify customer identities, securely and across borders

• Replace outdated paperwork with seamless digital onboarding

• Access only the data they need, like proof of age or citizenship, without storing unnecessary personal information

• Strengthen fraud prevention with tamper-proof, government-backed credentials

• Rely on a neutral, public infrastructure that complies with the highest security and privacy standards

From banks and mobile operators to online marketplaces and service providers, eIDAS 2.0 makes it easier for businesses to serve customers, faster, safer, and with greater trust.

With eIDAS 2.0, public administrations gain a powerful tool to modernize public services across the EU.

Governments will be able to offer faster, safer, and more efficient interactions, both domestically and across borders, while significantly reducing the administrative burden.

Governments and public administrations will be able to:

• Deliver digital public services that work seamlessly across members of the EU

• Instantly verify identities and official documents, from health insurance cards to tax IDs

• Reduce paperwork and in-person processes with secure, remote authentication

• Improve fraud detection and prevent identity misuse with certified, tamper-proof credentials

• Build public trust through a privacy-first system that empowers citizens

From registering for social services to accessing cross-border healthcare, eIDAS 2.0 enables governments to provide secure, streamlined digital services that meet the expectations of a digital-first society.

eIDAS 2.0 is built on a straightforward idea: prove who you are digitally, in a secure and private way.

This is made possible through three key components:

• Decentralized Identity (DID)

• Verifiable credentials

• Digital wallets.

Traditional identity systems depend on central authorities , like governments, banks, or large tech platforms, to store, manage, and verify personal data.

Decentralized Identity (DID) takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of relying on a single system to validate someone’s identity, DID allows individuals to hold and manage their own digital credentials directly on their personal devices – or any device.

This is what makes it decentralized: there’s no central database storing everyone's identity data. Instead, identity verification happens through a network of trusted issuers and verifiers (often supported by blockchain or other distributed technologies) while users remain in full control of what they share and with whom.

A decentralized identity system is built on two core components:

• Verifiable credentials, which are cryptographically secure digital proofs of identity.

• Digital wallets, which store and manage those credentials.

Together, they allow for secure, user-controlled identity verification across services and borders.

Verifiable credentials are secure digital documents that contain verified information about a person, organization, or entity. Put very simply, it’s the digital equivalent of documents like an ID card, driver’s license, or university diploma, but much more secure. 

Each credential is cryptographically signed by an issuer, which makes it resistant to fraud and instantly verifiable by systems. Rather than sending a scanned document or displaying a physical ID, individuals can share a secure, digital credential that proves a specific fact with just a tap of the finger.

Digital identity wallets are secure applications that allow individuals to store, manage, and share their verifiable credentials from a single, trusted location, typically on their smartphone or personal device.

Under eIDAS 2.0, these credentials are held in the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), giving users a consistent way to identify themselves across borders and services.

As your business prepares to navigate the opportunities and obligations of eIDAS 2.0, we at Partisia are ready to support you every step of the way.

Under the new framework, many companies will play one of two roles:

• Issuers, who create and provide verifiable credentials (e.g. diplomas, certificates, licenses).

• Verifiers, who request and validate those credentials during onboarding, compliance checks, or customer interactions.

On the Partisia Platform, we make it easy for your company to start issuing and verifying digital credentials.

Our technology is fully compatible with eIDAS 2.0, and enables businesses to confidently take on these roles. Whether issuing credentials to employees, customers, students, or partners, or verifying them during critical processes, Partisia provides the secure infrastructure needed to ensure trust, privacy, and interoperability.

So, in other words: We help your business stay ahead and build trusted digital relationships with users across the EU.

eIDAS 2.0 is reshaping how digital identity works across Europe, and businesses that adapt early will lead the way.

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• Ensure your business is eIDAS-ready with our Decentralized Identity solution

• Explore the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI-Wallet)

• Read more about eIDAS 2014